In the early 2000s, other manufacturers such as Ford and Toyota also started
recording data. As the years passed,
most automobile manufacturers began
recording data. The National Highway
Safety Transportation Administration
(NHTSA) studied EDRs and published
a rule in 2006, which then became Federal Law, 49 CFR Part 563.

The law does not require the installation of EDRs in each vehicle,

but it does state that if there is an
EDR present, it must record specific
information. All installed EDRs
needed to record at least the information found in Figure 1. Additional
data may be required to be recorded,
if applicable.

Use in claims

By imaging the data contained onan EDR from a crash, a claims pro-fessional can gain a better picture ofwhat occurred.

Recently, the National Insurance
Crime Bureau (NICB) warned of a
rise in parked and unattended vehicle accident fraud. EDR data can be a
valuable asset in these claims. For example, insureds will report that their
vehicle was damaged while it was
parked and unattended. Throughout
the claims process, red flags regarding